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Douglas County parents question district's decision to call a snow day

High winds and snow prompted officials at Douglas County Schools to cancel classes Tuesday. That led many parents to question the decision online, specifically on Facebook.

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DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. — High winds and snow prompted officials at Douglas County Schools to cancel classes Tuesday. That led many parents to question the decision online, specifically on Facebook.

So, did the district make the right call?

How the decision was made

The Douglas County School District is massive, covering more than 850-square miles from Highlands Ranch to Larkspur.

District officials say the decision to close comes down to one thing: safety.

In their closing announcement Tuesday, the district wrote that “Safety is a top priority,” and that the decision was made “due to blowing snow, wind chill and a blizzard warning affecting a portion of the county.”

There is also a section of the district’s website that describes the timing and basis for how the snow day decision is made. It includes a section that says if there is a blizzard warning within a certain time frame (like there was Tuesday morning) that would prompt a closure.

The district said that there are extra days built into the school calendar, so since this was the first snow day of the year, there won’t be a need to make the day up at a later date.

Some parents weren’t happy

“I don’t think there was enough to be out of school,” one parent told Denver7.

Some parents online disagreed with the decision for the entire district to shut down for the day.